# authentik vs directory-server

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | authentik | directory-server |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 81/100 ✓ | 46/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 3 in IAM | #26 of 40 in Authentication |
| GitHub stars | 26 158 ✓ | 188 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +453 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 9 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | version/2026.8.5 · 21 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Other | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Python | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

authentik scores 81/100 against 46/100 for directory-server, so it is the safer default.

authentik ships more often: 9 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for directory-server.

If you want the quickest setup, authentik is easier to run; directory-server needs more configuration.

authentik is growing faster right now (+453 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [authentik](https://selfhost.directory/project/authentik) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/authentik.md)
- [directory-server](https://selfhost.directory/project/directory-server) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/directory-server.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/authentik-vs-directory-server